Ice cream and sorbets: how to choose them and make sure they are healthy

Heatwave obliges, you melt as much as an ice cube on the beach.

To refresh the palate and satisfy sweet cravings, the ice cream and sorbet section of the supermarket is waiting for you.

But now, between the merguez and fries for lunch and the aperitif at 6 p.m., you don't want to impose extra work on your stomach with an overly rich dessert, let alone opt for an ultra-processed product.

Two nutrition specialists review the reflexes to guarantee real frosty pleasure, while limiting the damage.

In video, nine actions to adopt to fight against food waste

Favor “full fruit” sorbet

When you look at the classic recipe for a sorbet - fruit purée mixed with a syrup of sugar and water -, you inevitably say to yourself that it is a healthier dessert than an ice cream, which has been added milk, flavoring and sometimes egg, or even an ice cream, enriched as its name suggests with cream.

Think again.

"The nutritional qualities of fruits, sources of vitamins and antioxidants, have suffered a little from oxidation linked to preparation time and storage, even if the cold preserves the vitamins", reports Dr Laurence Plumey, nutritionist ( 1).

Industrial sorbets may contain at least 25% fruit

Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention

Then there remains the taste and the sugar of the fruits, the fructose, when the latter are mainly present.

According to French legislation, industrial sorbets may contain at least 25% fruit, except in the case of acid fruits (lemon, orange) or strong flavored fruits (pineapple, banana) required to respect a minimum value of 15%.

Read alsoWhy do you get a headache when you eat ice cream?

This low quantity therefore minimizes the taste of the preparations, especially after freezing.

“The icy texture anesthetizes the taste buds, which is why manufacturers sometimes add large amounts of sugar to bring out the flavor,” explains dietician Marie-Laure André, specialist in the glycemic index (2).

"It is better to consume a sorbet bearing the name "full fruit" - with at least 45% fruit - to reduce the contribution of added sugars", suggests the doctor nutritionist Laurence Plumey.

Limit added sugars

Among the sugars added in sorbets or ice creams, we find at the top glucose-fructose syrup, ideal for providing a syrupy fluid texture.

"The dosage must be low because an excess of fructose increases the level of triglycerides in the blood and increases the cardiovascular risk factor", underlines Marie-Laure André.

To be sure, the dietician recommends always looking at the nutritional table on the label of the product purchased and comparing it to that of competing sorbets or ice creams.

Faced with this observation, some manufacturers are using new forms of sugar, more natural sweeteners from plants, such as agave syrup which has a lower glycemic index or even stevia.

This is the case of the American brand Halo Top whose ice cream, promoted as "healthy" by well-being enthusiasts and deemed "interesting" by the experts we interviewed.

Recently sold at Monoprix, they are enriched in protein (18.4 to 22.8 g) and reduced in calories (280 to 360 calories per 273 g jar) - without however being similar to high-protein meal replacements which, they also provide a supply of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

“They contain fewer sugars, which are more interesting, such as steviol glycosides, extracted from stevia, and erythritol,

Enough to push ordinary mortals to “stop when you hit rock bottom” (of the pot)

as the Halo Top brand invites in one of its slogans.

Bad idea, according to the dietician and the nutritionist, who, on the other hand, favor moderation.

“A 30 g scoop of sorbet provides on average the equivalent of two sugar cubes, and so if you take three you will quickly reach the daily amount not to be exceeded, recommended by the WHO”, explains Laurence Plumey.

Beware also, no pun intended, of the snowball effect.

“As a general rule, sweeteners make you want to eat sweets,” adds Marie-Laure André.

The brain registers the sweet flavor but not the calories that go with it.

He will therefore claim his due by triggering a craving for sugar.

Ice cream rather than ice cream

After sugar, the enemy of all dishes: excess fat.

It interferes in particular with ice cream and ice cream.

And there too, the addition rises very quickly with the spoonfuls.

“Ice cream contains a minimum of 5% milk fat per 100g, and even two to three times more in ice cream due to the addition of cream.

This is why the latter will be two to three times more caloric than a sorbet”, specifies the doctor nutritionist.

This can lead, due to regular and excessive consumption, to a risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease.

That lactose intolerant and vegans do not rejoice too quickly, ice cream and ice cream designed for them do not escape this risk factor.

“Even if it is vegetable, coconut milk remains very fatty, more than almond milk.

So this type of ice cream is not necessarily less caloric than other non-vegan products”, nuance Laurence Plumey.

Read alsoAre vegan ice cream lighter?

Opt for simple tastes

To simplify the task in store, a simple glance at the list of ingredients is a good start.

Like the interior of Marie Kondo, it should be minimalist.

"Go your way if you find additives galore," insists dietitian Marie-André.

Even the addition of unprocessed or minimal ingredients is no exception to the rule.

“Adding caramel, chocolate or pecans significantly increases the sugar and fat intake,” notes the glycemic index specialist.

Look no further than the basic lemon, vanilla, strawberry or even chocolate and forget about the flavors “cookie dough”, “salted butter caramel” or even “mojito”.

Avoid garish colors

The color of the product also turns out to be a good indicator of its composition.

"An authentic pistachio ice cream is not flashy green but tends towards a paler shade, in which we ideally find pieces of pistachio", observes Laurence Plumey.

Dietician Marie Laure André invites people to avoid sorbets and ice creams containing synthetic dyes such as caramel coloring, identified as potential carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and to favor natural dyes such as than beet or elderberry juice.

Cornet, popsicle or pot?

If you want to be as uncompromising as possible about your consumption, the format of said frosted sweetness is important.

Dietician Marie-Laure André encourages people to turn to an ice cream or a sorbet in a pot instead of a stick or a cone.

“We dose more easily what we ingest and we avoid adding more fat and sugar via the chocolate coating or the biscuit of the cone”, she indicates.

“Beware of Magnum-style popsicles,” adds nutritionist Laurence Plumey.

These are calorie bombs containing between 200 and 300 calories each, while a simple scoop of ice cream and its cone provide less than 100 calories.

Rest assured, they are nonetheless prohibited as part of a balanced diet and regular physical activity to burn off all those calories ingested.

“Eating ice cream remains above all a taste pleasure, concludes medical nutritionist Laurence Plumey.

And if we prefer the traditional version in a cone, we will taste it at an ice cream maker to ensure its good quality”.

A sin of gluttony, to be enjoyed with a large glass of water for optimal hydration.

(1) Dr. Laurence Plumey is the author of

, published by Eyrolles, 270 pages, €16.90.

(2) Marie-Laure André is the author of

, published by Solar editions, 216 pages, €9.90.